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Seiko SSB481P1 Chronograph Bracelet Watch - W25525
Ref. SSB481P1
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The neo-vintage rally aesthetic here is not a trend the design team landed on arbitrarily — the green tachymeter bezel, the deep British racing green dial and the rose gold-tone indices form a coherent set that collectors have picked up on, and the 8T63 movement behind it earns its place with a chronograph hand that steps in 1/5-second increments and carries a tactile, almost mechanical feel when you work the pushers. At 38.7mm with a 45.1mm lug-to-lug, this sits closer to a gentleman's sports watch than to the oversized end of the chronograph market, and it will lie flat and balanced on a smaller or average wrist in a way that many chronographs at similar ratings simply will not. The dial reads very differently depending on the light — near black in shadow, a sharp emerald in direct sun — which keeps it from being a one-note piece. The bracelet adjusts on standard pins rather than a micro-adjust clasp, so getting a precise fit takes a link or two of patience, but the three-fold push-button release is secure day-to-day. At 110 grams the whole assembly has enough presence on the wrist to feel considered without becoming heavy by afternoon.
- Reference
- SSB481P1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- Discover More
- Case size
- 38.7mm
- Case thickness
- 12.1mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Hardlex
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- 8T63
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- LumiBrite
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45.1mm
Learn more about Seiko
Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo in 1881, aged twenty-one, and began manufacturing under the name Seikosha — roughly, house of exquisite workmanship — in 1892. The Seiko name appeared on watches from 1924.
The company's significance is that it broke the Swiss monopoly twice. First on precision: Seiko was appointed official timekeeper of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and built the quartz chronometers and printing timers to do it, and in the 1960s its movements placed highly at the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory trials against the best Swiss houses.
Then on technology. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to five seconds a month where mechanical watches managed that per day. The consequences for Switzerland were catastrophic — employment in the Swiss industry fell by roughly two-thirds over the following decade. Seiko deliberately did not enforce its quartz patents, allowing the technology to spread.
The same year it produced the 6139, among the first automatic chronographs, and it has since introduced Kinetic, Spring Drive — a hybrid regulating a mechanical mainspring electronically, giving a perfectly gliding seconds hand — and its own dive and field lines.
Seiko remains fully vertically integrated, making its own hairsprings, quartz crystals, and even the Zaratsu-polished cases, at price points from under a hundred pounds upward.
- 1881
- Kintaro Hattori opens his Tokyo shop.
- 1924
- The first watches carry the Seiko name.
- 1964
- Official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969
- The Astron becomes the first quartz wristwatch.
- 1999
- Spring Drive enters production.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in the Seiko Discover More range (28), Back in Stock (5,429), Stainless Steel Watches (3,531), Chronograph Watches (1,379) and Green Dial Watches (477).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 38.7mm suits most wrists
- 45.1mm lug-to-lug keeps the 38.7mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Price history
This watch is currently at its highest recorded price. It was £400 on 28 August. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.
Seiko SSB481P1 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | SSB481P1 | YA126445 | H69401140 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £430 | £429 | £425 |
| Case size | 38.7mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
It resists most everyday knocks. Hardlex is a hardened mineral glass — tougher than standard mineral, softer than sapphire.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 45.1mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38.7mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
Has the price changed recently?
It's currently at its highest recorded price. It's ranged between £400 and £430, today it's £430.
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